BAGUIO CITY December 10 – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) and the Regional Mineral Development Council (RMDC) here asserted the need for local governments and mining companies to practice responsible mining in the exploitation, utilization and development of the rich mineral resources in the different parts of the region.

The observance of responsible mining practices in the hinterlands of the Cordillera was bolstered by the creation of a committee on social issues and another committee on mining security to look into the activities of large and small scale mining activities in the whole region.

The RDC-CAR and RMDC-CAR mandated the committee on social issues to identify and validate critical issues affecting the mineral industry including host communities and to recommend measures and solutions to whatever pressing concerns in their areas of jurisdiction so that such concerns will be immediately addressed by concerned local governments and concerned government agencies.

On the other hand, the committee on mining security was created to enhance peace and security for mining companies to avert whatever evil motives to be undertaken by various armed groups, especially in the collection of revolutionary taxes and extortion activities.

The said body, which is led by the Police Regional Office (PRO) in the Cordillera and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is tasked to conduct comprehensive assessment of mining and security issues affecting such operations in the different parts of the region and recommend guidelines to aid the mineral development board in policy formulation.

According to both councils, mining security evolves around four dimensions namely, political, economics, socio-cultural, and ideological.

Political dimension pertains to bureaucratic processes, government’s inability to enforce mining laws, bad perception of mining industry, among others. Economic dimension involves royalties and taxes due the local governments taking too long, inequitable investment portfolio, lack of poor infrastructures and lack of investors.

At the same time, the RDCCAR and RMDC-CAR pointed out ancestral domain issues and land disputes, exploitation of the indigenous peoples, anti-mining stance of some cause-oriented groups and lack of information, education among mining are some of the concerns under socio-cultural dimension.

Subsequently, ideological dimension includes militants’ infiltration of labor ranks.

Both councils are supportive of the immediate passage into law of the Senate version of House Bill (HB) 3195 popularly known as the Domogan bill for the direct remittance of shares of local governments on taxes and fees from natural wealth being exploited and developed.

The Cordillera currently hosts three large-scale mining companies, numerous small-scale mining operations and several mining explorations because of its rich mineral deposits, thus, direct payment of local government shares on taxes and fees for mining operations will result to the development of host communities which could translate to better economic standing of the people in the countryside.